How creative generosity can pay you dividends

Snaskified is a recurring column by Snask, an internationally renowned creative agency that strives to challenge the industry by doing things differently. Here, co-founder Fredrik Öst talks about giving back...

Today, we're going to look at character design. My question is, how have you developed your own character, in real life? Do you even have one? Well, let's test that by exploring the trait of generosity.

When you're out having dinner with friends, are you the one who wants to split the bill or the type who calculates exactly what you had and who had that extra glass of wine? If it's the latter and you're not even poor, shame on you!

You lack character if you start to divide your life and activities around a currency. What you're doing is turning friendship into currency by differentiating yourself from someone else. The same goes for buying rounds of beers. Just do it and don't think about losing money.

After all, at the end of the year you'll only have gained or lost about £20. Believe in karma or something similar. The main principle of paying it forward – money, a helping hand or whatever – is that it always pays itself back somehow.

This brings us to the issue of generosity in the creative industry. Don't sit on your butt and cover your sketchbook. Don't sit silent in brainstorming meetings.

Share your ideas, concepts and designs. That's precisely how you excel. Don't turn your character into a closed person because of some fear of people snaffling your work. That shit happens anyway, no matter how you do it.

Snask for Malmöfestivalen 2014

Speaking of snaffling, we've seen our fair share. Search online for 'Kingsday Festival 2015' and compare it to our Malmöfestivalen 2014 piece. Never before have so few changes been made, and all for the worse; a clear case of a highly commercial music festival being 'inspired by' work for a tax-financed culture festival.

This month's news

Thumbs up: We're currently trying to create a fashion brand in China. We can't tell you more than that but it's the most exciting project we've done in a long while.

Thumbs down: People who stand up in the plane as soon as it lands and tackle their way to the exit just to meet up at the luggage collection. Needless!

Words: Fredrik Öst

The full version of this article first appeared inside issue 241 – a character design special – of Computer Arts. Get up to 55 per cent off a subscription to CA here.